They rode up alongside the brook for some miles with the looming of the canopy of trees at long last changing into thickets of bushes and shrubs. The sun decended on the sky until it creeped below the horizon and the moon shone and as they rode under its light they continued along their path with a few small conversations but nothing of considerable note. The brook veered to the right and away from them, so they spurred their horses to gallop along past the clearing of shrubs and on to agricultural farmland, to feed cities often needed huge amounts of farms and resources; and no matter how blessed a town could be in magic, there was always a town suffering the opposite. They rode past few people that morning, some militia were starting their patrols, and farmers moving their cattle to fresh pastures watched on at the two riders.

They arrived in town in the late morning, and unpacked belongings for sale, and to clear room for equipment suited for the journey ahead. They rested in the tavern till early evening and pushed from out off town with a sense of prosperity and rejuvination. Their horses were well replenished and cared for.

The pastures on the other side of the village were just as fresh and abundant with crop as they had seen the previous morning. So they rode up and along past more farmers and militia. After a few hours riding a new forest emerged along their path and they followed the bridle path into the lush and warm forest, the green of moss, and fallen logs rotting at the side of the path, more birds than you could shake a fist at singing on the steady and swinging branches from the wind that penetrated the roof of the forest. QTChi whistled a slow and low call to Axel, and they slowed to a march. She peered up and around and sat firmer in her saddle, with a straighter back, arching across as she was looking for something. Axel couldn't see anything himself but rode alongside the path with her and did what he could to look for anything irregular in the darker spots of the forest. She was on to something, and the horse bucked a little as she felt the confidence of her rider elsewhere. Axel still couldn't see anything and motioned his horse to remain vigilant.

QTChi waved her hand and a small spark from her fingertips erupted only barely visible to Axel himself, and she let out a inaudible wail from the back of her throat, which carried itself high into the branches, much unlike any sound that could seperate itself from any common humanoids throat. Her eyes were glowing but not unusually from the first moment he had met her, to Axel it was a sense that she was either calling out or tracking something with her voice, or some magical chord. The latter became evidently true as she kicked and spurred her horse into a canter against the gritty path. Axel let chase and reached to unlock his axe from his side, and so he followed her for some ten minutes and continued to do so as she veered off the path ahead of him into the forest letting her horse find its way past the trees and thorns, and along to her own intended path.

Dawn came with no incident and the pair woke to the sounds of the small town awakening. After sorting their purchases, the girl strapped the last of their provisions over the back of the horse and wordlessly they continued their journey further north. The morning flew by quickly and the lass was pleased to see her mount shed any remaining unwillingness towards her. A faint ghost of a smile flitted across her face and she opened her mouth to speak for the first time that day…

”We best give ye a name then?” She mused as the path they rode upon, reentered the forest once more. A critical eye roamed the stallion before her, watching as the light dappled through the trees and played upon the silken coat of ebony he wore. ”Bright eyes?” She suggested with a bit of a grimace. ”Dancing feet? Warrior King?”

The girl sighed.

”They all seem rather… lacking don’t they?” She told the horse, watching as his ears twitched backwards towards the sound of her voice. The hour went by uneventful and eventually, the sound of her voice died away as the girl gave up creating names for her horse. We’ll think of something sooner or later, She thought to herself, drawing in a breath and focusing her gaze upon the forest around them.

The air hung heavy and humid around the travelers, making her hair plaster itself uncomfortably against the skin of her nape. Reaching back, she lifted the long strands and froze. As if sensing her tension, the horse, too, slowed his gait before coming to a complete stop; muscles tensed as it’s ears cocked forward towards an unforeseen incident.

The trees whispered as the breeze shifted and brought to her sharp nose, the scent of blood.

A low hum awakened within her stomach and the girl’s eyes gleamed with sudden alacrity. ”Something is ahead,” She informed the rider beside her, doing her best to keep the note of excitement from creeping into her voice. Indeed, if the lass closed her eyes and opened her senses, she could feel the tremble of life before them - just beyond the thick copse of trees.

”Try to keep up Sir’rah,” Her voice was low and directed at Axel, as she tightened her hold upon the reins and bounded off through the forest. Ordinarily, she would confront the creature and quench her curiosity, yet she traveled with the human today - hell knows if the thin-skinned creature could fend for himself in a battle.

Their ride was swift, but not completely silent.

The trees hindering their path, suddenly thinned and they burst free into a odd clearing. The smell of death permeated the area and the girl widened her eyes, her heart hammering within her chest. She could sense movement to one side and t’was with great dread, did the lass slowly turn her head to view at the monstrous creature…

It rested upon its hind legs, not a few paces from where horse and rider froze. From between it’s stained jaws, the girl could clearly see the strips of meat dangling from a sharpened tooth. Upon the ground, it’s body mangled and torn beyond repair, laid a forest deer.

Qtchi didnae move as the breeze shifted once more, bringing to her a heavier dose of excretion and decomposition. From behind her, she could hear the human bound through the forest behind her - and the girl tensed. Almost immediately, the creature pulled back its jaws and released a growl, the bloody flesh swaying obscenely to the head movements.

Mutant Bonecruncher Badger, The lass thought to herself, eying the distinctive white fur that striped across the black animal - as if dividing the creatures' body into two parts. It's wet nose, glistened with the blood of the previous victim, wiggled in the air as it sniffed at her, tasting her scent.

Qtchi hoped Axel was a good rider, as she slowly slid one hand to where her sword rested...

Axel caught the smell of the remains of the beasts last victim, and came to the quick realisation that the badger that appeared the size of a horse was not here to eat beetles and worms. His axe was drawn and he slowed his ride to circle the rabid creature, all of its claws were showing as it scurried at incredible speed towards Axels horse mount, and so the horse flaired up and Axel spurred the horse to break speed.

His horse moved fast also, and Axel was lucky, but the badger was following by a cats whisker and let out growls and snarled it teeth towards the horses hooves. Axel grabbed a throwing axe with his left hand and hurled it short and hard at the persuing creature. It hit the badger on the side of jaw, wasn't enough to stop it but it slowed enough so Axel could change direction and position himself to start a counter flank attack.

The creature slowly regained speed on the badger and Axel grabbed his second throwing axe and let it loose and impale the badgers left front paw. The badger came to a crashing stop and Axel jumped from his horse as he ordered it to slow, and kicked it again so it was clear from the threat of the badger.

Axel approached the badger with his axe in his right arm and took an offensive stance. The badger wasnt going to give up on his new dinner, and took a plunge towards his adversary, and Axel swiped around in a back handed counter attack and sliced towards the badger. A mighty crack sounding like a newly fallen tree could be heard as Axels axe fractured the badgers skull. It swiped one time at Axel barely missing his foot, and Axel took back foot, raised his weapon and swiped down on the center of the badgers forehead and cracked his skull as blood splattered up unto the trees.

The badger, slumped to the floor, and lay motionless. Axel claimed the final blow to kill the creature for once and for all.

He would have to stop now, regain his stamina, settle his horse and clean his weapons, he may even have to change course to find a blacksmith to fix any damages to his axe, but if there was one close by, that would be an advantage.

From his hunting skills, on the mountains with the Sky Guard, he had learnt survival aspects, and although the badger wasn't as good as what could be hunted locally. He would have to take time to take the tongue of the badger in an attempt to preserve the bovine tubercles bacillus which could solve any future minotaur problems.

She pulled to a stop, whirling her horse around to watch the enfolding battle.

It was a close one - for even though the creature was a dim witted one - it had the physique of a mountain bear and the hunger to match that of a berserker. A weapon swung and the sound of broken bones filled the air as the man relentlessly attacked the wild creature. Entrails spilled from the open wounds and onto the dirt, bringing to her the thick scent of death laced sweetly with the scent of blood. Qtchi licked her lips and nudged her horse closer.

Dismounting, the lass strode to where Axel stood and looked down at the dead creature. Casually, she nudged the dead carcass with the tip of her boots, nostrils flaring at the sight of bone protruding from the torn skin. Slowly, she dragged her eyes down from the obvious wound and examined the sinewy body of the deceased badger. The white pattern upon its body zigzagged from the crown of its head, towards the center - where its belly resided. There, it abruptly stopped.

”Hmm,” The girl sounded, crouching to get a better look. ”Look here Sir’rah, it appears to be a pouch of some sort.”

With no regard to the gore, the girl reached down and buried her hands into the creatures belly. Her hands met that of a hard corner and she tightened her fingers. With a sucking noise, the lass pulled free the embedded treasure and stared at the items in her possession. It appeared to be a box wrapped in oil skins, protecting it against wear and tear.

Gingerly, she peeled back the outer layers, eager to see what the box might contain. Perhaps t’was some magical cache, secreted in this box and concealed in this wild creature for protection…

Instead, what the lass found surprised her.

Holding her arms out, the girl turned towards her companion with the tomb in her hands and confusion written across her face. Perhaps he would know what to do with it…

Axel opened up a stained parchment and looked bewildered at what he was reading. He looked up towards his adventuring party consisting of a nice even number and began to read a loud.

"For warned Obslodox,
My name is Jane, high inquisitor of Badger Falls, journeyman bard to the elven children and pursuer of good deeds. Whilst the sub-tropic storm approached for our festival, we celebrated with the elven children, and for two days the cheering lasted, until one of the badger kin fell down and gasped 'For I am sick'.
We took the badger to last owls point, to see the sage Owl Beard, and he flew off but before doing so warned us of a terrible illness. He said the elven children would be without affliction but the last Badger will fall.

We looked to our dieties for help and prayed; the illustrious all seeing toad, and the compassionate mole could not stop the next badger falling to illness. After the storm passed, the festival ended, and more badger fell. The next day, the badgers began to recover at great speed but with anger in their eyes. It was an awful day, they could not be controlled as they tried to attack the elven children and our community. We called the badger soldiers to protect us, and what the high races call a civil war broke out.

Numbers of our soldiers fell and were inflicted, we soon had to evacuate the elven children, and on this day, the sage Owl Beard returned with news from the Elven elders that we should hide the children away from our setts and onto barrows heath. We did so, in fear of our rabid kin.

With the elven children hidden, our grand cete, slowly fell, I scribbled and documented as best as I could, and fled as a coward might, only to seek shelter from the brutal massacres. But after two days of travelling I too became sick, and now I fear the worst is about to begin.

May the grand cete live on for its proud stories, and not for its notorius fall.
Jane."